Latest news with #SonyaMassey
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signs new law requiring stricter checks for police hires
SPRINGFIELD, IL — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has signed new legislation requiring law enforcement agencies in the state to perform more comprehensive reviews of prospective officers, prompted by the 2024 shooting of Sonya Massey, a Black woman who was shot in the face while in her home by a sheriff's deputy. Top provisions of the bill, according to Illinois State Sen. Doris Turner, include making sure that hiring agencies have a candidate's full employment history, creating merit boards for hiring sheriff's deputies in significantly smaller jurisdictions, and ensuring more comprehensive employment vetting rules apply to all law enforcement agencies, from township police to park police. Pritzker signed the legislation, called the Sonya Massey Act, on Aug. 12. Turner, who represents the 48th district that encompasses an area from Springfield to Decatur, told USA TODAY that writing and introducing the bill was the "most important" work of her 25-year legislative career. "I really believe that with this legislation, had it been there before, Sonya may still be alive," said Turner, who sponsored the bill. "We can't mandate who people hire but we can make sure they have all the info about their applicants that's available." What happened to Sonya Massey? Massey, 36, a mother of two children, was killed inside her Springfield home on July 6, 2024, when Sangamon County Sheriff's Deputy Sean P. Grayson shot her while responding to Massey's call about a possible intruder. Gruesome video of the encounter shows the deputy firing on an unarmed Massey as she apologized and ducked for cover. Her death sparked national outcry and widespread protests over police brutality, later prompting a Justice Department investigation. State and local officials also called for a review of the sheriff's office's hiring practices after it was revealed that Grayson had a history of complaints involving women. The sheriff who hired Grayson later resigned amid vociferous criticism. Grayson was fired from his position after he was indicted on multiple charges, including murder. He is scheduled to stand trial in Peoria County on Oct. 20. Did law enforcement help craft the bill? Following Massey's death, former law enforcement officers and experts told USA TODAY that loose vetting requirements created the conditions for questionable candidates to get hired. Turner said the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and the Illinois Sheriffs' Association helped develop the bill with legislators to prevent something similar from happening. Illinois Chiefs of Police Association Executive Director Kenny Winslow said the association believes there should be minimum background standards for individuals seeking to protect and serve communities. "We are one step closer to ensuring that background checks will be more thorough and only those candidates of the highest moral character will be among the police force," Winslow said. Illinois legislators believe the bill is the first of its kind to put such stringent employment vetting requirements for law enforcement agencies. Massey's family watched the governor sign the bill Pritzker signed the bill under the watchful eye of Donna Massey, the mother of Sonya Massey. Sonya Massey's father, James Wilburn of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and her two children, Malachi and Summer, both of Springfield, were also in attendance, as was civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represented the Massey family in a $10 million civil settlement against Sangamon County. Pritzker, who met with the Massey family last summer after the shooting, said Sonya Massey was in his thoughts. "She loved and she was loved and was taken from us far too soon," Pritzker said before the signing. "What we do today should serve as an example across the nation for other states and other jurisdictions." What's in the bill? The measure, according to Pritzker, helps to prevent similar tragedies and better equips law enforcement to "keep our communities safe, and to continue working to build a justice system that protects all of our citizens." Officers with histories of serious disciplinary issues "should not be serving in those capacities in our communities, and those histories should not come to light only after disaster happens," Pritzker added. Turner said she was especially proud to collaborate with the Illinois Sheriffs' Association and the Illinois Chiefs of Police "to determine necessary guardrails to ensure we have good officers on our street protecting and serving our communities.' The measure, known as Senate Bill 1953, ensures an officer's fitness for duty as a police officer before an employment offer is made. The law expands the creation of sheriff's merit boards and sheriff's merit commissions for counties with a population of at least 75,000. The Illinois House and Illinois Senate overwhelmingly passed the bill with bipartisan support. What to know about Sean P. Grayson Hired by the department in May 2023 and paid just over $56,000 annually, Grayson arrived in Sangamon County with a litany of missteps to his name, including two DUIs, a discharge from the U.S. Army for "serious misconduct," and complaints against him from the people he policed as well as from law enforcement officers. He'd also had five law enforcement jobs since 2020, some of them part-time and overlapping with each other. The Sangamon Sheriff's Department's hiring interview warned that Grayson "needs to slow down to make good decisions." They hired him anyway. A USA TODAY review of public records also found he had been the subject of several complaints alleging belligerent behavior toward women. Family 'cautiously optimistic' Turner, a longtime friend of several generations of the Massey family, said she spoke to Massey about a week before the fatal shooting. Massey "was not just a constituent or someone I casually knew," Turner said, adding she's known several generations of Masseys. Massey's cousin, Sontae Massey, said he was elated about the signing, but "cautiously optimistic." "We will savor the small victories, but we understand that this is the beginning of an arduous journey for justice and equity," he told The State Journal-Register, part of the USA TODAY Network. This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Sonya Massey Act requires stricter background checks for police hiring
CNN
7 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Sonya Massey shooting prompts Illinois law requiring disclosure of police recruits' backgrounds
Illinois law now requires that prospective police officers approve the release of personal background records in response to last summer's shooting of Sonya Massey, an unarmed Black woman, in her home by a sheriff's deputy who had responded to her call for help. Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday signed the legislation, which requires disclosure of everything from job performance reports to nonpublic settlement agreements. It resulted from indiscretions that came to light in the background of Sean Grayson, the ex-sheriff's deputy charged with first-degree murder in the case. Pritzker, surrounded by Massey's family in the state Capitol, said the first-in-the-nation law should serve as an example for other states as he let Massey's 'spirit guide us to action.' 'Our justice system needs to be built on trust,' the Democrat said. 'Communities should be able to trust that when they call the police to their home, the responding officer will be well-trained and without a history of bias or misconduct, and police officers should be able to trust that they are serving alongside responsible and capable individuals.' The legislation was sponsored by Sen. Doris Turner, a Springfield Democrat and friend of the Masseys, and Chicago Democratic Rep. Kam Buckner, who noted that Thursday marks the 117th anniversary of the three-day Race Riot in Springfield that led to the founding a year later of the NAACP. Massey, 36, was a single mother of two teenagers who had a strong religious faith and struggled with mental health issues. In the early morning of July 6, 2024, she called 911 to report a suspected prowler outside her home in the capital city of Springfield, 201 miles southwest of Chicago. Grayson and another deputy searched but found no one. Inside Massey's house, confusion over a pot of hot water Massey picked up and her curious response to Grayson — 'I rebuke you in the name of Jesus' — which the deputy said he took to mean she wanted to kill him, prompted him to fire on Massey, hitting her right below the eye. The 31-year-old Grayson was 14 months into his career as a Sangamon County Sheriff's deputy when he answered Massey's call. His arrest two weeks later prompted an examination of his record, which showed several trouble spots. In his early 20s, he was convicted of driving under the influence twice within a year, the first of which got him kicked out of the Army. He had four law enforcement jobs — mostly part-time — in six years. One past employer noted that he was sloppy in handling evidence and called him a braggart. Others said he was impulsive. Those seeking policing jobs must sign a waiver allowing past employers to release unredacted background materials, including job performance reports, physical and psychological fitness-for-duty reports, civil and criminal court records, and, even otherwise nonpublic documents such as nondisclosure or separation agreements. 'It isn't punitive to any police officer. The same kind of commonsense legislation needs to be done nationwide,' James Wilburn, Massey's father, said. 'People should not be able to go from department to department and their records not follow them.' The hiring agency may see the contents of documents sealed by court order by getting a judge's approval, and court action is available to compel a former employer to hand over records. 'Several departments need to pick up their game and implement new procedures, but what's listed here (in the law) is what should be minimally done in a background check,' said Kenny Winslow, executive director of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, who helped negotiate the proposal. Ironically, no. Most of what was revealed about Grayson after his arrest was known to Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell, who was forced to retire early because of the incident. Campbell was aware of Grayson's shortcomings and, as a result, made him repeat the state's 16-week police training course. Even an incident that didn't surface until six weeks after the shooting — a dash-cam video of Grayson, working as a deputy in a nearby county, ignoring an order to halt a high-speed chase and then hitting a deer with his squad car — would not have disqualified him, Campbell said at the time. 'We can't decide who they do or don't hire, but what we can do is put some parameters in place so that the information will be there and the right decision can be made,' Buckner said. Grayson, who also faces charges of aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct, has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to go to trial in October. Publicity persuaded Judge Ryan Cadagin to move the proceeding from Springfield to Peoria, 73 miles to the north. The incident has garnered international news coverage, prompted activists' rallies, and led to a $10 million civil court settlement.
CNN
7 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Sonya Massey shooting prompts Illinois law requiring disclosure of police recruits' backgrounds
Illinois law now requires that prospective police officers approve the release of personal background records in response to last summer's shooting of Sonya Massey, an unarmed Black woman, in her home by a sheriff's deputy who had responded to her call for help. Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday signed the legislation, which requires disclosure of everything from job performance reports to nonpublic settlement agreements. It resulted from indiscretions that came to light in the background of Sean Grayson, the ex-sheriff's deputy charged with first-degree murder in the case. Pritzker, surrounded by Massey's family in the state Capitol, said the first-in-the-nation law should serve as an example for other states as he let Massey's 'spirit guide us to action.' 'Our justice system needs to be built on trust,' the Democrat said. 'Communities should be able to trust that when they call the police to their home, the responding officer will be well-trained and without a history of bias or misconduct, and police officers should be able to trust that they are serving alongside responsible and capable individuals.' The legislation was sponsored by Sen. Doris Turner, a Springfield Democrat and friend of the Masseys, and Chicago Democratic Rep. Kam Buckner, who noted that Thursday marks the 117th anniversary of the three-day Race Riot in Springfield that led to the founding a year later of the NAACP. Massey, 36, was a single mother of two teenagers who had a strong religious faith and struggled with mental health issues. In the early morning of July 6, 2024, she called 911 to report a suspected prowler outside her home in the capital city of Springfield, 201 miles southwest of Chicago. Grayson and another deputy searched but found no one. Inside Massey's house, confusion over a pot of hot water Massey picked up and her curious response to Grayson — 'I rebuke you in the name of Jesus' — which the deputy said he took to mean she wanted to kill him, prompted him to fire on Massey, hitting her right below the eye. The 31-year-old Grayson was 14 months into his career as a Sangamon County Sheriff's deputy when he answered Massey's call. His arrest two weeks later prompted an examination of his record, which showed several trouble spots. In his early 20s, he was convicted of driving under the influence twice within a year, the first of which got him kicked out of the Army. He had four law enforcement jobs — mostly part-time — in six years. One past employer noted that he was sloppy in handling evidence and called him a braggart. Others said he was impulsive. Those seeking policing jobs must sign a waiver allowing past employers to release unredacted background materials, including job performance reports, physical and psychological fitness-for-duty reports, civil and criminal court records, and, even otherwise nonpublic documents such as nondisclosure or separation agreements. 'It isn't punitive to any police officer. The same kind of commonsense legislation needs to be done nationwide,' James Wilburn, Massey's father, said. 'People should not be able to go from department to department and their records not follow them.' The hiring agency may see the contents of documents sealed by court order by getting a judge's approval, and court action is available to compel a former employer to hand over records. 'Several departments need to pick up their game and implement new procedures, but what's listed here (in the law) is what should be minimally done in a background check,' said Kenny Winslow, executive director of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, who helped negotiate the proposal. Ironically, no. Most of what was revealed about Grayson after his arrest was known to Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell, who was forced to retire early because of the incident. Campbell was aware of Grayson's shortcomings and, as a result, made him repeat the state's 16-week police training course. Even an incident that didn't surface until six weeks after the shooting — a dash-cam video of Grayson, working as a deputy in a nearby county, ignoring an order to halt a high-speed chase and then hitting a deer with his squad car — would not have disqualified him, Campbell said at the time. 'We can't decide who they do or don't hire, but what we can do is put some parameters in place so that the information will be there and the right decision can be made,' Buckner said. Grayson, who also faces charges of aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct, has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to go to trial in October. Publicity persuaded Judge Ryan Cadagin to move the proceeding from Springfield to Peoria, 73 miles to the north. The incident has garnered international news coverage, prompted activists' rallies, and led to a $10 million civil court settlement.
CNN
7 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Sonya Massey shooting prompts Illinois law requiring disclosure of police recruits' backgrounds
Illinois law now requires that prospective police officers approve the release of personal background records in response to last summer's shooting of Sonya Massey, an unarmed Black woman, in her home by a sheriff's deputy who had responded to her call for help. Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday signed the legislation, which requires disclosure of everything from job performance reports to nonpublic settlement agreements. It resulted from indiscretions that came to light in the background of Sean Grayson, the ex-sheriff's deputy charged with first-degree murder in the case. Pritzker, surrounded by Massey's family in the state Capitol, said the first-in-the-nation law should serve as an example for other states as he let Massey's 'spirit guide us to action.' 'Our justice system needs to be built on trust,' the Democrat said. 'Communities should be able to trust that when they call the police to their home, the responding officer will be well-trained and without a history of bias or misconduct, and police officers should be able to trust that they are serving alongside responsible and capable individuals.' The legislation was sponsored by Sen. Doris Turner, a Springfield Democrat and friend of the Masseys, and Chicago Democratic Rep. Kam Buckner, who noted that Thursday marks the 117th anniversary of the three-day Race Riot in Springfield that led to the founding a year later of the NAACP. Massey, 36, was a single mother of two teenagers who had a strong religious faith and struggled with mental health issues. In the early morning of July 6, 2024, she called 911 to report a suspected prowler outside her home in the capital city of Springfield, 201 miles southwest of Chicago. Grayson and another deputy searched but found no one. Inside Massey's house, confusion over a pot of hot water Massey picked up and her curious response to Grayson — 'I rebuke you in the name of Jesus' — which the deputy said he took to mean she wanted to kill him, prompted him to fire on Massey, hitting her right below the eye. The 31-year-old Grayson was 14 months into his career as a Sangamon County Sheriff's deputy when he answered Massey's call. His arrest two weeks later prompted an examination of his record, which showed several trouble spots. In his early 20s, he was convicted of driving under the influence twice within a year, the first of which got him kicked out of the Army. He had four law enforcement jobs — mostly part-time — in six years. One past employer noted that he was sloppy in handling evidence and called him a braggart. Others said he was impulsive. Those seeking policing jobs must sign a waiver allowing past employers to release unredacted background materials, including job performance reports, physical and psychological fitness-for-duty reports, civil and criminal court records, and, even otherwise nonpublic documents such as nondisclosure or separation agreements. 'It isn't punitive to any police officer. The same kind of commonsense legislation needs to be done nationwide,' James Wilburn, Massey's father, said. 'People should not be able to go from department to department and their records not follow them.' The hiring agency may see the contents of documents sealed by court order by getting a judge's approval, and court action is available to compel a former employer to hand over records. 'Several departments need to pick up their game and implement new procedures, but what's listed here (in the law) is what should be minimally done in a background check,' said Kenny Winslow, executive director of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, who helped negotiate the proposal. Ironically, no. Most of what was revealed about Grayson after his arrest was known to Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell, who was forced to retire early because of the incident. Campbell was aware of Grayson's shortcomings and, as a result, made him repeat the state's 16-week police training course. Even an incident that didn't surface until six weeks after the shooting — a dash-cam video of Grayson, working as a deputy in a nearby county, ignoring an order to halt a high-speed chase and then hitting a deer with his squad car — would not have disqualified him, Campbell said at the time. 'We can't decide who they do or don't hire, but what we can do is put some parameters in place so that the information will be there and the right decision can be made,' Buckner said. Grayson, who also faces charges of aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct, has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to go to trial in October. Publicity persuaded Judge Ryan Cadagin to move the proceeding from Springfield to Peoria, 73 miles to the north. The incident has garnered international news coverage, prompted activists' rallies, and led to a $10 million civil court settlement.
Washington Post
7 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Sonya Massey shooting prompts Illinois law requiring disclosure of police recruits' backgrounds
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois law now requires that prospective police officers approve the release of personal background records in response to last summer's shooting of Sonya Massey, an unarmed Black woman, in her home by a sheriff's deputy who had responded to her call for help. Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday signed the legislation , which requires disclosure of everything from job performance reports to nonpublic settlement agreements. It resulted from indiscretions that came to light in the background of Sean Grayson, the ex-sheriff's deputy charged with first-degree murder in the case.
